


Running Headlong to You

by lacewingss



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Communication, Fluff, Loneliness, M/M, Mutual Support, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9169714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lacewingss/pseuds/lacewingss
Summary: Yamaguchi gets serious about his training outside of practice and starts to run to school instead of walking with Tsukishima. One day the other boy decides to join him, and suddenly running isn't so bad.





	

Yamaguchi wasn’t much for running. He would diligently put in his required laps at practice, and even tolerated the extra sprints the team received as punishment without complaint, but he didn’t _enjoy_ it. He did not like the feeling of running headlong into nothing - the feeling that he was moving fast towards empty space too unsettling to allow him to relax.

  
Now he ran every day. Each morning before class, and each night before sleep. In the dawn he could run away from the sun, let the dark of the night hide as much as it could before it was lost for another twelve hours. Later he could run into the deepening sky, plunging himself into a world more forgiving than the day. He would run until his chest burned and his breaths came out in heaves and he had to sit down on the hard concrete of the sidewalk until the stars in his vision passed.

  
He still did not enjoy running, but he had a goal, and that goal kept him from giving up on his runs. When he looked at the other boys during practice, saw how easily their legs carried them into the air and never gave out on them, he was awed. He was also jealous. It was hard for him to make his own body listen so well, to be able to put his full trust in it. Yamaguchi wanted to be like the others, and there was only one way he could see to do that.

  
So he ran. Every night when he collapsed on his bed, his muscles tight and aching, he imagined himself standing on the court, a ball in his hand and the pressure of victory loud in his ears. He would do his best, and be satisfied knowing he gave it all he had. The groggy mornings when he was so tired he sometimes put his shirt on backwards would be worth it. Every twinge of pain would all be worth it.

  
Some mornings, when he woke up too late, he ran to school instead of waiting for Tsukishima. Getting extra practice, he would say when the other boy asked why. He knew Tsukki wouldn’t join him, and so he was safe from having to explain it further. While he knew Tsukishima would do his best to understand his near obsessive drive, it wouldn’t click with him the way it did for Yamaguchi. Tsukishima was already strong.

  
Yamaguchi liked to think on the days he went ahead Tsukishima looked just a bit lonely when he arrived at the gym, but that was probably his imagination. He felt lonely himself, missing out on his mornings with Tsukki, but with one of the many mixes that he had made for him blaring through his headphones as he ran it almost felt like Tsukishima was there with him anyway.

  
There were days Yamaguchi would run into Hinata on his way to school and would keep pace with him before Kageyama joined them. It was nice to run with him staying steadily by his side. When he had the breath for it they would talk about volleyball and the team, though mostly Yamaguchi listened as Hinata effortlessly babbled on while running faster than Yamaguchi ever could. Once they met up with Kageyama Yamaguchi would be left behind as he struggled to keep up and ultimately failed. The rest of his run to school was spent watching the two boys fade into the distance and focusing on whatever song Tsukishima had put on his mix that reminded him of Yamaguchi. That thought alone made running that much more bearable.

  
Yamaguchi was just leaving to run to school one morning when he saw Tsukishima waiting for him at the end of the walkway. He thought for a second he had forgotten to text him and say he was going on ahead this morning, but remembered that no, he had done it right after getting dressed, just as always. _Maybe Tsukki didn’t get the text,_ he wondered, already mentally running back into the house to change into his school uniform in order to walk with Tsukishima instead.

  
He noticed then that Tsukishima wasn’t in his school uniform either. He was wearing his clothes for practice, his sneakers white against the dull grey of the sidewalk.

  
“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi called, confused. “Is everything okay?"

  
Tsukishima, who had been fiddling with the cords of his headphones, looked up and shrugged.

  
“Yeah,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”

  
“Go? To school?”

  
“Where else would we be going?” Tsukishima asked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and really, it was. The sight of him there, ready to run, was just so unusual that Yamaguchi had a hard time putting it together. Of course they were going to school. They were going to school together.

  
Still, Yamaguchi had to be certain.

  
“I didn’t think you’d want to run there, you haven’t before,” he said, finally leaving the porch and walking over to where Tsukishima was waiting.

  
“Well, I changed my mind.”

  
“Oh,” Yamaguchi answered, unsure whether to pry for more of a reason to Tsukishima’s change of mind. Right now it didn’t matter anyway, and before he knew it Yamaguchi was grinning. _Maybe today he would like running._

  
He grabbed for Tsukishima’s hand and pulled him away from the end of the walk towards the road.

  
“Let’s go then!” he said, and took off with Tsukishima close behind.

  
Halfway to school Yamaguchi was starting to feel the burn in his thighs. He breath was still even, though, and the sweat running down his neck felt cool and refreshing as the wind rushed past him. For the first handful of blocks Tsukishima had kept pace with him, and Yamaguchi could look to his side and see him there, easily jogging along. The morning sun would shine on his glasses, and he would distractedly push them farther up his nose. It was hard not to get lost in watching the way Tsukishima’s body moved, the way his calfs clenched and relaxed as his feet hit the ground. More than once Tsukishima pointed out that he was about to run into something or veer off the curb and Yamaguchi had to quickly look away to avoid stumbling.

  
He was not the only one, though. He could feel Tsukishima’s eyes on him when he was not looking, and when he turned his head to check Tsukishima would be in the process of looking away. When their eyes did meet, whether purposefully or by an accident in timing, Yamaguchi found it harder to draw in the steady breaths he needed to continue running. The line of sweat beading on Tsukishima’s brow teased him, urged him to plant his feet in place and let his body stop Tsukishima’s momentum until they had both fallen onto the ground and were tangled in each other’s arms.

  
Yamaguchi was so lost in his fantasy that he did no notice when Tsukishima fell behind. The other boy’s voiced pulled him out of his own mind, and when he looked to his side there was only empty space.

  
“Hold up,” Tsukishima said from somewhere behind him.

  
He turned to see the other boy standing still, half bent at the waist with his hands on his knees. Yamaguchi sprinted back and when he reached Tsukishima realized that he was panting and his face was contorted into a grimace of pain.

  
“You okay, Tsukki?” he asked, concerned. If he had hurt his ankle or strained a muscle in his legs Yamaguchi would not be able to take the guilt.

  
Tsukishima looked up from his knees and tried out a smile. Relief washed over Yamaguchi when Tsukishima straightened up and ran a hand through his hair to shake out the sweat damp curls. His breathing was still quick, and the flush on his face was enough to make Yamaguchi’s heart race, but his expression was softening.

  
“When did you get so fast?” Tsukishima asked, admitting in not so many words that he had stopped running only because he could not keep up.

  
Pride swelled up in Yamaguchi and he grinned, the corner of his eyes wrinkling. It was hard to judge his progress by himself. When he ran alone there was nothing to compare himself too, and every day felt the same as the one before. Now, with Tsukishima at his side, he could see the improvement in the way he was always a step ahead. Yamaguchi’s stamina now out paced his, and though he did not want to leave his friend behind it felt good to see his training show results.

  
He reached out a hand and took hold of Tsukishima’s palm, now coated in a fine layer of sweat.

  
“Come on,” he said and gently pulled him along. Tsukishima came willingly, grateful of the small break and, Yamaguchi thought, glad to have someone to pull him on when things got difficult.

  
They ran the rest of the way to school at a slower pace, and Yamaguchi did not mind that he was not getting as intense of a workout as usual, as it left more time for him to watch Tsukishima out of the corner of his eye, and to take his hand when he fell behind.

* * *

 

By the fourth day Yamaguchi had begun to expect to see Tsukishima waiting outside his front door in the morning, dressed to run. It was just like when they walked to school together - it started out with Tsukishima scolding him for taking so long to get dressed, a quick kiss when they turned the corner and his house was no longer in view, and ended with them arriving to morning practice together. The only thing different was the time in between, when they now spoke little and concentrated more on the working of their bodies.

  
Running with Tsukishima was slowly becoming Yamaguchi’s favorite part of the day. He was no longer running for his own sake alone, but for both of theirs. It was different than running with Hinata; he and Tsukishima were improving together, each growing on their own, but side by side, as it had always been. Running was not a chore anymore, but something to look forward to.  
He wished Tsukishima could feel the same.

  
“Wait.”   

   
Yamaguchi slowed for the second time that morning and turned around to find Tsukishima stopped again. After a week of running each day he still had to pause and catch his breath every so often. That was fine, Yamaguchi thought. But at the end of the run Tsukishima would often be grumpy and go through the morning with a scowl on his face. It was obvious that he was not enjoying their new way of getting to practice as much as Yamaguchi was, and as much is he would miss it, Yamaguchi did not want to force Tsukishima to do something he was unhappy about.

  
“You don’t have to run with me, you know,” he finally said. “If you don’t like it you can tell me.”

  
“I don’t like it,” Tsukishima answered with no hesitation.

  
Yamaguchi blinked in surprise. He knew that was the answer, of course, and he should have expected Tsukishima to be so blunt about it, but it still threw him off.

  
“That’s okay, then. I can-"

  
“I think it’s pointless,” Tsukishima interrupted. “We run in practice anyway. What good is wearing yourself out before we even get to the gym.”

  
“Well, I guess.” Tsukishima was not wrong - they were already tired when they got to practice, but Yamaguchi had learned to deal with the fatigue and even come to accept it as part of the day. If Tsukishima could not do that there was nothing wrong with no longer running in the morning, and Yamaguchi wanted to make sure he knew that.

  
“I just said you don’t have to, though.”

  
“Yes I do,” Tsukishima said, shaking his head. “If you’re running every morning I’m going to run, too.”

  
For a moment Yamaguchi was silent. Tsukishima had never been clingy, jealous maybe, but never outwardly demanding of Yamaguchi’s time. It was one of the things Yamaguchi loved about him - he was free to do things on his own, and if Tsukishima joined him it was only an added pleasure. Tsukishima wanting to be with him more could not be the reason he was running every morning. It had to be something else.

  
“If you’re worried about falling behind the others in practice, I don’t think-"

  
“I’m not worried about that,” Tsukishima started, his voice strong but losing its edge as he continued. “You’re running every morning with those idiots and spending practice with them, then there’s class and…”

  
He stopped, lowering his head. Yamaguchi leaned forward, trying to get a better view of Tsuskishima’s expression. _Those idiots? Did he mean Hinata and Kageyama? What did they have to do with anything?_

  
When Tsukishima raised his head his face was pained, like the words he said were hard to get out.

  
“I just miss you, alright?”     

   
Yamaguchi took a step back and suddenly the stress of running and the ache of his muscles was all forgotten.

  
“Y-you miss me?” he asked, at once overjoyed to hear Tsukishima say something so tender out loud and angry at himself for making him feel that way.

  
“Yes,” Tsukishima answered, and Yamaguchi thought that the red creeping up his face had nothing to do with their exercise. “I…don’t like it when you’re not here.”

  
Yamaguchi grabbed one of Tsukishima’s hands with both of his, and when he spoke his voice was earnest and full of nothing but love.

  
“Tsukki, I’m right here. I’m _always_ right here.”     

       
Had he been blind to Tsukishima’s feelings? Yamaguchi had never once thought that Tsukishima did not know he could always count on him to be there. There was nowhere else in the world he would rather be than at Tsukishima’s side.

  
“Why did you start going to school without me, then?”

  
Yamaguchi’s heart dropped at Tsukishima’s words. He should have better explained why he was running in the mornings; he should have made sure Tsukishima knew it had nothing to do with him. _Had Tsukishima spent the last few weeks thinking he was trying to spend less time with him?_ He had to try to better express his reasons.

  
“I told you. I want to get better. I’m not strong enough…”

  
Something in Tsukishima’s expression changed the moment Yamaguchi started to falter. It was as if his own feelings of loneliness came second to Yamaguchi’s self doubt and guilt.

  
“Don’t,” he said, pulling his hand out of Yamaguchi’s.

  
“Don’t what?”

  
Tsukishima sighed and wiped a bead of sweat off of the back of his neck.

  
“Don’t say those things to me. You don’t like it when I say things like that when you’re around, so why would I like it?”

  
“Yeah, but-“ Yamaguchi started, but was interrupted by Tsukishima putting a hand on his shoulder.

  
“You think running is going to make you stronger?”

  
He nodded, knowing running _was_ making him stronger. At least physically.

  
“Well, yeah. This and the extra practices. I want to do everything I can. I don’t want to be left behind.”

  
“Whose leaving you behind?” Tsukishima asked, and his other hand come up to rest on Yamaguchi’s other shoulder. They were facing each other now, Yamaguchi looking up into the hard gold of Tsukishima’s eyes.    

“Tadashi, you should take a better look at yourself. You’re doing great. Stop over working yourself. And stop making me walk to school alone.”

  
He could blame the slight wetness around his eyes on sweat, but Yamaguchi knew it was tears as he blinked them away. All the mornings he was so sore that even stepping out of bed was a chore, every night that he lay awake in bed waiting for his muscles to relax, they were all worth it. He knew he was getting stronger, but to hear it from Tsukishima was another thing altogether.

  
“Tsukki, thank you,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut to let the tears pass. He did not know what else to say, so he pulled himself close to the taller boy and wrapped his arms around his middle. “I won’t let you be lonely again.”

  
Tsukishima’s grip on him tightened, and he felt the press of his lips on his forehead.

  
“You’re all sweaty,” Tsukishima said after moment, but still did not let go of Yamaguchi. He kissed him again, this time softly on the lips.


End file.
